| Iman | Zaynab | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Faith, belief | Fragrant flower |
| Origin | arabic | Arabic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ee-MAHN | ZAY-nab |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1975 | 1982 |
| Peak year | 1996 (178) | 2016 (146) |
| In 2025 | 91 | 144 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Iman | Zaynab |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 561 | 774 |
| 2010s | 1,040 | 1,051 |
| 2000s | 1,555 | 466 |
| 1990s | 1,395 | 181 |
| 1980s | 481 | 37 |
| 1970s | 92 | 0 |
Iman (إيمان, iman) means 'faith, belief' (in God) and comes from the root '-m-n, which also carries ideas of security and trust. It is used for both girls and boys and is a central concept in Islam.
Zaynab is the name of a fragrant flowering plant; borne by daughters of the Prophet.
Zaynab is more popular than Iman today: about 144 US babies were given the name Zaynab in 2025, compared with 91 named Iman.
Iman means Faith, belief (arabic origin), while Zaynab means Fragrant flower (Arabic origin).
In US records, Iman first appears in 1975 and Zaynab in 1982, so Iman has the longer recorded history.